


A Beautiful Mistress

by Mira



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-07-15
Updated: 2006-07-15
Packaged: 2017-10-17 10:30:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/175909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mira/pseuds/Mira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"That Elizabeth," Ari said as they were packing up late in the day. "She is your mistress?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Beautiful Mistress

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Alyse](http://alyse.livejournal.com/)'s [Weir/Zelenka Thing-a-Thon](http://alyse.livejournal.com/469142.html). My recipient was [thepouncer](http://thepouncer.livejournal.com), who requested the following:  
> Three little words: portcullis, cordial, cashmere  
> One thing you would like, in three words or less: history and connection  
> One thing you would not like, in three words or less: too much strife
> 
> Beta by the [Lady of Asheru](lady_of_asheru.livejournal.com), [Rosalita](http://iamrosalita.livejournal.com), [Queenofalostart](queenofalostart.livejournal.com), and Mike.

Radek watched nervously as Elizabeth discussed the details with Major Lorne. "The summer capital," Elizabeth said, and Lorne nodded.

"As long as Ronon and Teyla stay with you," he said. "I'd feel better about taking you myself, though."

"You're needed in Atlantis while John is on Earth," she reminded him. "We don't need to be flown anywhere, since jHalum is so near the stargate."

"Yes, ma'am," he said. "Ronon?"

"With my life," Ronon solemnly reassured Lorne.

"I hope not," Elizabeth said, and Radek nodded. He wished Rodney were in Atlantis so he could go through the stargate instead; he was more comfortable with it than Radek. How someone like Rodney could find the courage to visit other worlds on a regular basis, Radek wasn't sure, but he was grateful Rodney could and did.

Still, the iJmuid were a pleasant people with whom Atlantis had been trading for some time, and if Radek could help them, he was glad to. He'd visited their city twice before, both times with Colonel Sheppard and Rodney, and enjoyed himself. He'd even made a friend there, another engineer who seemed to share Radek's amusement at Rodney's behavior. In addition to his work on improving the water supply to jHalum, Ari had designed and built a new kind of loom, one that permitted the artisans to create even more elaborate carpets and wall hangings. Radek had been thinking about the loom, and how labor intensive threading it was; he had a few ideas he wanted to share with Ari.

So Radek wasn't unhappy to visit the iJmuid again. He tried to focus on the pleasant aspects of his visit, rather than on his fears about stepping through the stargate.

"Radek?" He looked up to find Elizabeth smiling at him. "Lost in thought?"

"Ah, yes, sorry." He pushed his glasses up his nose. "Can I help?"

"I just wanted to thank you for agreeing to help the iJmuid."

"It is a pleasure. I look forward to visiting jHalum again."

"It is a lovely city, isn't it?" She hesitated, and then said, "It reminds me a little of Prague."

He tilted his head, trying to overlay the two cities. "Some of the architecture, especially the towers."

"Cold there," Ronon said.

"Cold in Prague, too," Radek told him. "Not as cold as jHalum, but still very cold compared to Atlantis."

"Well, tomorrow at oh-eight hundred," Lorne said. "Doctor Zelenka, is there anything you need help with, to prepare?"

"No, no. I will gather my tools. Ari sent very complete descriptions of the problem; I think I can help."

"Excellent," Elizabeth said, and Radek saw the meeting was over. He stood politely, anxious to get back to his lab. With Rodney away, he needed to organize the work for his absence. Two or three days, he thought likely, but he should schedule enough for a week, and put Simpson in charge of monitoring the scientists' needs. He knew that she would do a good job, and without shouting at the other scientists.

Only minutes before they were scheduled to leave for jHalum, Radek was still stuffing last-minute items in his backpack. He hesitated, and then carefully wrapped a bottle of _vaječný likér_ in an old tee-shirt. It was cold in jHalum; the cordial would be warming.

"Coming, I am coming," he called to Elizabeth as he hurried into the gate room.

Major Lorne stood with them, looking small next to Ronon. "Take care of my city," Elizabeth told him seriously; he nodded and said, "Yes, ma'am. I'll keep the porch light on for you." He looked up at the technicians and added, "Dial jHalum." The amazing mechanism began to work. Radek had spent many happy hours with Rodney discussing the engineering of the great gates; they were both awed by what the Ancients had done so very long ago. But familiarity did not breed contempt in Radek, and he had to take a very deep breath before he could walk toward the flickering glow of the event horizon. "It'll be okay, Doctor Zelenka," Lorne quietly told him, patting him on the arm.

"Thank you, Major," Radek said and closed his eyes to step through.

The wind howled wildly, blowing snow into his face as Radek emerged from the wormhole. He shivered from the cold, but also from the knowledge that his molecules had been disassembled and recombined. The others were starting toward the city jHalum: Teyla leading Elizabeth, Ronon standing patiently beside Radek waiting for him to follow. He would be safe with them, he knew. He tightened his coat collar and began trudging through the ankle-deep snow, grateful for the warm boots the SGC issued.

The city walls were less than a kilometer from the stargate; the way was straight, thickly lined with sturdy trees that looked like bottlebrushes to Radek, their branches spiked with stiff green needles. Not much shade offered, but their density sheltered the road from the blowing snow.

The portcullis was up, because they were expected, and Maha Bari herself waiting with her guards. "Maha," Elizabeth called, waving, and the Maha smiled, opening her hands in the iJmuid gesture of welcome.

"Lizbet," she said when they stood before her. "You and your family are welcome. The _raalah_ is ready to pluck, and the fiber to be combed."

Radek knew that _raalah_ was a plant that produced bolls of white fiber, much like cotton. Elizabeth was exclaiming over their good fortune to be here for the plucking; he glanced at Ronon, who looked as inscrutable as always, and at Teyla, who wore a pleased smile.

Then the Maha clapped her hands, and sent Radek's team into the city, to the _labi_ where they would sleep while visiting. Two of her guards led the way, while the others accompanied the Maha to her quarters high above the city.

He was shaking with cold by the time they reached the _labi_ , but its low ceiling held in the warmth from the enormous fireplaces on two sides. Long, low beds with narrow spaces between them were piled high with fluffy comforters made of and stuffed with _raalah_ ; Radek knew how warm and cozy they would be in the icy night. He sat down on one, sinking into the depths of the bed. "Oh, I love this!" Elizabeth said, and fell backwards into the bed next to him.

"Hmh," Ronon said, poking at the beds. Radek was sure he enjoyed them just as much as the others, but he claimed living in the wild for seven years made the beds too soft for him.

"The Maha Bari hopes your family with dine with her at the seventh bell," the younger guard said, smiling at them. Her teeth were brilliant in her dimpled brown face and Radek could only smile back at her.

"We would be honored," Elizabeth said. "Er, what bell is it now?"

The guard raised her hand, index finger extended toward the ceiling. Radek thought she looked like Rodney for a moment, but then the bells began to ring. "Six," she cried, laughing at them. "I will return to escort you."

"Thank you," Elizabeth called after her, but she had already gone. "Radek, I can't remember --"

"One bell is forty-seven minutes," he said.

"I'll never get over how it can be eight in the morning in Atlantis and then, a footstep away, it's evening," Elizabeth said. "Why are we not jetlagged?"

"The gate, Rodney says. Perhaps he is right."

"You cold?" Ronon asked him. Radek shrugged, but allowed Ronon to tug him toward one of the fireplaces. They watched as Teyla and Elizabeth pulled out the gifts for the Maha from their backpacks: beautiful paper in vibrant colors, wide rolls of silk ribbons in more colors, a heavy crystal decanter and six matching glasses, and six canes of bolo wood from Etri -- the iJmuid did not have wood that permitted such delicate carving as the Etri produced.

When all was organized, and Elizabeth had bullied Radek into combing his hair again, the young guard returned, smiling in delight at the beautiful gifts. She proudly led the way through the winding passages connecting interlocking buildings until they were brought up a long straight staircase and into the anteroom of the Maha's public summer quarters.

"The commander of the Atlantis expedition, the good doctor Elizabeth Weir!" the guard cried out, even though Radek knew that everyone already knew Elizabeth. "Gracious leader of the Athosian people, the honorable Teyla Emmagan. The right Specialist Ronon Dex, formerly of Sateda, now of Atlantis. The eminent scientist and good doctor Radek Zelenka."

As they were named, they bowed to the Maha and her court, Radek carefully juggling the paper and ribbons he'd been permitted to carry. The room was full of people dressed in remarkably little; Radek had to remind himself that this was late summer in jHalum and, though it was colder than Prague in February, the inhabitants were delighted by their temperate weather.

When all the bowing was concluded, Elizabeth said, "Please, Maha Bari, may we offer these small tokens of our regard for your house and family?" The Maha beckoned to them. They each set their gifts on a platter carried by two guards, though the Maha wanted to touch the paper and ribbons herself.

"Such beauty you bring us," she said, and Radek could hear the sincerity in her voice. He had described to the people he worked with how the city of jHalum was built and decorated only in shades of white, cream, and honey. The primary colors and pastels that they brought as gifts to the iJmuid were shockingly bright set among the pale colors of their world.

He knew they had a long night of feasting ahead of them and was glad he hadn't eaten breakfast yet. The food here was good and plentiful, and the iJmuid offered a powerful mead to accompany the meal. Radek was confident he'd be able to sleep through jHalum's night even though it was the middle of Atlantis' day. He always enjoyed returning to Atlantis from jHalum because the time differential meant he could work during Atlantis' night; he got more done when he worked by himself, though he would never admit to anyone that he missed Rodney's competitive grumpiness. But Rodney was with the colonel on Earth.

They settled down to eat, and Radek thought again of Rodney, of how much he would enjoy this meal. Radek shook his head when he realized that, even though Rodney was in another galaxy, he was checking for citrus in the food. He caught Elizabeth's eye; she smiled at him and raised her glass, so he lifted his own. " _Na zdraví_!" he mouthed, and she repeated the phrase back to him.

The Maha was watching them, he saw, and he lifted his glass to her as well. "This is a charming," she announced, raising her glass, and then standing. Radek scrambled to his feet. "Tell me what you say?"

Radek realized she was asking him. "Ah, in my birth language, _na zdraví_ ," he said. "In English . . . " he looked at Elizabeth.

"Cheers!" she said.

"Cheers!" the Maha repeated, and everyone shouted, "Cheers!" Laughter filled the hall, and Radek returned to his meal. Some kind of fowl, like goose or duck, greasy and tender, with roasted fruit and vegetables and even something a lot like sauerkraut. Delicious. A strange breakfast, but a wonderful meal.

"Tell me of Atlantis," the Maha said when the last empty platter had been carried away, and a new drink poured into their glasses.

"She is a beautiful floating city," Elizabeth said. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkling. After months of trading with the Maha, they had decided to tell her the truth, as a gesture of good will. They had little to offer and the iJmuid so much; stories of Atlantis were good currency everywhere in the Pegasus Galaxy.

"The old stories tell us that she flies, too, yes?" the Maha asked, and Radek settled back for a long night of telling impossible stories about his beautiful city. Elizabeth loved her, too, and shone as brightly as the lights of Atlantis while describing the wonders to the Maha. Only the Maha's personal guards remained with them: a tall thin man who moved like a ballet dancer, and the teasing girl with dimples.

But as all fairy stories do, the description of Atlantis turned dark as the evening progressed. "Atlantis cannot hide as we do," the Maha said. "We live indoors; the walls of the city protect us; the weather of our world protects us. In winter, we move even farther from the stargate, down into the valley, and let the snow and ice shield us from visitors."

"I would love to see your winter city," Elizabeth said. "I'm sorry your world is inaccessible then."

"You could winter over?" the Maha suggested, smiling slyly. "You would be our honored guests."

"Oh, I think not," Elizabeth said, and yawned. She covered her mouth, blushing. "I'm so sorry, Maha Bari!"

"No, no. Your company is so pleasant that I am keeping you from your beds." She clapped her hands, and the dimpled girl danced forward. "Lead our guests back to the _labi_ , Esta. Be certain the matron has stoked the fires. Atlantis is a sea-world and warm."

"Yes, Maha Bari," she said, and curtsied, then sprang up. "Come with me, honored guests." She left swiftly, Radek still folding his napkin and bowing to the Maha.

Teyla led the way, as always, and Radek followed Elizabeth, with Ronon just behind him. "Oh, I ate too much," Radek groaned.

Elizabeth looked over her shoulder at him. She patted her non-existent tummy. "Me, too. But it was so good."

"Good cooks here," Ronon said, and Radek couldn't discount his opinion even though Ronon ate anything and everything.

Radek took his time preparing for bed; after all, it wasn't much past noon in Atlantis. He lay on his comfortable mattress and read his laptop for a while, but he didn't want to waste battery power so he powered it down and watched the shadows and light flickering reflections against the high clerestory windows. The walls were covered in heavily-embroidered fabrics, thick like old-fashioned quilts, but all in cream and white with minuscule gold stitching that glinted in the firelight. Ronon and Teyla sat cross-legged on a bed, talking quietly. Elizabeth appeared to be dozing, but then he saw her blink, and she smiled at him. He felt the blood rush to his face, caught staring at her. "Um," he said. "Would you like a sip of _vaječný likér_?" He dug through his pack for the bottle he'd carefully nestled inside.

"I'm not sure," Elizabeth said. "I'm embarrassed to admit that I've never heard of _vaječný likér_."

"It's an egg-based cordial. My sister makes this, from our great-grandmother's recipe. It's very warming, very traditional."

Elizabeth smiled at Radek and scooted nearer, the soft bed rolling her into him. They laughed. "I like traditions," she said, and Radek thought she might be teasing him.

"No glasses," he said. "Do you mind?"

She reached for the bottle. "Not if you don't." She took a little sip, then a bigger one before handing it back to him. "It's good! A bit like advocaat."

He sipped. "Yes, yes. She does a fine job." He licked his lips, and watched as she took the bottle back and sipped again. He stared at her lips, hypnotized by their shining in the unsteadily firelight.

"Thank you, Radek," she said, startling him out of his thoughts.

" _Není zač_. Ah, you are very welcome."

They stared at each other for another moment, Radek wondering if she was feeling the same tension that he was. "Perhaps we have had enough," he finally said.

She sat up straight and pushed the hair off her face. "Yes, of course. Um, thank you again."

"Anytime, Elizabeth." He busied himself putting away the bottle, trying not to notice her long legs and slender bottom as she turned to crawl back onto her own bed, nor Teyla and Ronon's amused glances toward him. He lay down and turned his back to the room.

In jHalum's morning, Ronon went with Radek as he accompanied Ari out to the geothermal power plant that was causing them problems. "I helped build this plant," Ari told Radek, obviously embarrassed, "but I cannot diagnose this problem."

"Fresh eyes can often help. Sometimes simply describing the problem . . ." Radek tried to comfort him, remembering his own brainstorming sessions with his engineers. Radek had been very impressed with the efficient use of the geothermal reservoirs in jHalum. For power, the iJmuid used dry steam to spin the turbine generators, and piped the hot water under the city and through the building walls to keep people and animals warm; they used it in their greenhouses so they could grow crops even in their winter city; and they had the best baths Radek had ever experienced.

"You are cold," Ari said quietly to him, and slid his arm around Radek's waist, over the top of his coat. Radek was a little embarrassed by the gesture, but Ari was warm next to him, the iJmuid were a friendly people.

They walked through the stony halls of the interior city and then reached another enormous gate, this one with the portcullis down. "The Wraith do not bother us," Ari explained as they waited for it to be cranked up. "But we have long memories, and many generations ago they did cull jHalum. That is when we rebuilt the city into what you see now."

"It must have taken decades," Radek said, dreading leaving the walls of the city to go out into the white and windy outside world.

"Oh, much longer. Nearly three hundred years. My ancestors helped," he added proudly, but they couldn't speak once they left the safety of the city; the wind howled around them and Radek clutched Ari, afraid they would get lost and be buried in the snow. "Not far!" Ari shouted. Radek was happy when they reached another gate, much smaller; it opened at Ari's push. They crossed a narrow courtyard mounded with melting snow. "The pipes are under here, you see," he explained, lifting his dripping boot from a puddle.

"Pipes?" Ronon asked.

"The hot water is piped throughout the walls and even the streets of jHalum," Ari explained. "So not too much snow builds up, except in the winter, of course. That's when we move into the winter city."

Radek was curious, but he was more interested in getting out of the wind. Inside, the plant was warm and humid; his glasses instantly steamed up. There was a slight sulphur smell, but nothing too unpleasant. Ari pulled off his coat and hat, and took Radek's. "This is Tomo," he shouted over the hissing steam and whining turbine. Tomo and Ari led them to the control room of the enormous turbines, where Radek unpacked his laptop and cables.

He and Ronon spent the day there, eating with Ari and Tomo, troubleshooting the problem, which was sporadic and intermittent. Radek decided ultimately that it was not mechanical. The more he studied the problem, the more certain he was that the layers of servers weren't configured identically, which was required to achieve what the iJmuid wanted.

"We recently moved the data," Ari told him, staring into Radek's laptop. "These computers are larger, more stable. We had to because we have more people and need to use the power more efficiently."

Radek nodded. These things happened even to the most careful. "We can fix this," he said confidently. "Two or three days; that is all we need."

"I will bring back the people who installed the servers."

" _Ne, ne_ ," Radek said. "Let us do this together. That way, you and Tomo will not need these people in the future. Or you can just call me, yes?"

They laughed comfortably. It was so warm in the plant that Radek stripped down even further, just to his tee-shirt, as if he were back on Atlantis. He was happy to spend the day in the fuggy warmth with Tomo and Ari feeding him delicious tidbits and gossiping about court politics while Ronon stayed near, watching them and nibbling.

"That Elizabeth," Ari said as they were packing up late in the day. "She is your mistress?"

Radek opened his mouth, but couldn't think how to respond. "Ah, she is my boss, yes."

Ari and Tomo laughed and elbowed each other. "A good boss!" Ari said. "Mm, I'd like such a beautiful woman to boss me around."

"Fuck me, Ari, fuck me!" Tomo cried in a falsetto, and even Radek laughed, though uncomfortably. Ronon looked severely at them, and they quieted. Still, Radek thought the men had a point. He would never admit it to anyone, but he'd had such fantasies about Elizabeth. He sighed, and finished bundling up in all his jumpers and jacket before facing the howling wind. Ronon wrapped his scarf around Radek's neck before they left the warmth of the plant.

When Ari and Tomo took their leave and Ronon and Radek found their way back to the _labi_ , Radek said quietly to Ronon, "I apologize for their behavior, Ronon. I see you are not comfortable." Ronon shrugged, but he still looked disapproving. Radek continued, "They should know better; after all, their boss is a woman, too."

"Maybe that's why," Ronon said.

Maybe, Radek thought, but he wasn't sure how to respond, and he felt chastened by Ronon's silence. Just before they entered their rooms, he stopped Ronon. "I do like Elizabeth," he said quietly. "Please don't think I don't respect or admire her."

Ronon stared at him solemnly before entering the room. Radek sighed, and followed him in. Elizabeth and Teyla were already there, obviously fresh from the baths. Elizabeth was smiling, a lovely sight to Radek's eyes, and Teyla looked relaxed and happy. He went up to Elizabeth, who was combing her damp hair. "You look lovely tonight," he told her quietly.

She laughed. "Thank you, Radek. We had a very pleasant day with the Maha and her ladies."

"Look, Doctor Zelenka," Teyla said, and put out her foot, wiggling her toes.

"Your toenails are white and gold," Ronon said. "With a little flower."

"Yes. The Maha says it's very popular here to do this." Teyla stared at her foot. "I have never seen such a thing, but Elizabeth says many women on Earth do this, too." Ronon bent over, and then knelt at Teyla's feet. "Do you like it?" Teyla asked him. Radek thought she sounded almost shy.

After a long moment, Ronon said, "Yeah."

Elizabeth winked at Radek and whispered, "Wanna see _my_ toes?" He felt his eyes widen, and then they both laughed. "I need to --" she gestured, and took a little pink bag with her as she left. Radek assumed she would finish preparing for dinner. He knew she would want him to comb his hair, so he grabbed his kit and went to the baths, leaving Ronon still crouched by Teyla's feet.

When he returned, Esta was waiting impatiently to take them through the city to dinner. "You are all so slow," she scolded. "Do you not wish to spend time with the Maha? You are here for so little."

She again led them through the long echoing hallways, across covered courtyards, through an enormous rotunda with a ceiling like a summer evening sky, upstairs, across a stone bridge, and finally into the Maha's private dining chamber. Again, only the Maha and her guards were there; Radek assumed this meant they were trusted, but he did wonder where the rest of the Maha's family was.

"I understand you have good news for us, eminent scientist Radek," the Maha said during dinner.

"Yes, yes, I am pleased to be able to help. We will reconfigure the computers and all will be well." Radek hesitated, then added, "I think."

She smiled at him. "Even if not, your willingness to assist us is most welcome. Atlantis is proving to be a good friend to jHalum."

Radek ducked his head, embarrassed. He wasn't a software engineer; he'd just worked a lot with computers over the years and had learned some things. But he enjoyed working with Ari, and even Tomo wasn't bad as long as Ronon was there to glare at him. "Thank you, ma'am," he finally said. "I will try."

"Tonight is an important night," the Mahi told them all. "Tonight we will pluck the _raalah_. Honored guests, will you not assist us?"

"Of course," Elizabeth said, and Radek nodded.

"Excellent, excellent. Let us finish this delicious dinner, and then go out into the fields. When we return, we shall open the _twahyess_ and celebrate."

Radek had no idea what plucking the _raalah_ entailed, nor what _twahyess_ could be, nor did he believe Elizabeth knew, but they all raised their glasses to the Maha. He was a bit concerned about going into the fields, especially at night. The iJmuid were so much hardier than he was. This was summer to them. He never wanted to experience their winters, even at the lower elevation of the winter city.

Esta and the tall thin guard brought out heavy cloaks the Maha provided, "because I know you are not accustomed to the summer nights here." To Radek's surprise, unlike everything else in jHalum, the cloaks offered them were vibrantly colored, shockingly so in the pale stone city. He wondered if only visitors wore colors and, if so, why. But everyone was rushing, readying themselves for the ceremony, so he no time to ask.

Radek helped Elizabeth into a long blue cloak that wrapped twice around her, the second time looping over her head into a hood that framed her face. "This is good color for you," Radek told her quietly, letting Ronon bundle him into a bulky scarlet _raalah_ jacket, cut like a _happi_ coat and as soft as cashmere. Ronon wore a long black coat with wide panels that floated as he stalked beside Radek and Elizabeth, and ahead of them Teyla glowed in gold, a queen more elegant than the Maha herself. Ronon stared at her, Radek noticed, but Elizabeth was watching him. He smiled at her shyly.

They were led through the city, joining more people than Radek had ever seen in jHalum before, all greeting the Maha respectfully but joyfully, bowing to her and then spreading their arms, their cloaks falling like butterfly wings. The noise grew, and Radek walked closer to Elizabeth, jostled by the city's inhabitants. Ronon stepped on his heels so he walked faster, following Teyla and the Maha.

When the Maha stopped, she turned to face her citizens. "iJmuid!" she cried, raising her arms, and the crowd cheered, the women's shrill ululations ringing in Radek's ears, the men's deep voices a rhythmic counterpoint. Elizabeth clutched his arm, peering around, her eyes bright with curiosity. "This is fascinating," she murmured, and Radek supposed it was. The noise died down, and the Maha gestured toward the tall thin guard, who pushed the gates behind her open.

"The gates of heaven," the Maha said to Elizabeth and Radek. Icy air rushed in and over him, a waterfall of cold sinking over and around him, like the Mistral. He shivered violently, his teeth literally chattering, and he held tighter to Elizabeth as they were gently pushed outdoors.

Torches flickered in the wind, revealing fields of _raalah_ , the low bushes like Earth cotton, all heavy with bolls. Snow had fallen all afternoon but the sky was clear now, the stars like _raalah_ bolls, fat and white above them. Someone gave the Maha a flat woven platter, and she began to pick the _raalah_. The city watched in silence as she slowly made her way deeper into the field, plucking the bolls quickly, with a twist of her wrist and flicking it into the platter she carried. Radek shivered even harder, and Elizabeth pressed up against him; he could feel she was shaking, too.

Radek didn't understand. Why was the Maha picking the _raalah_? Why at night, and on such a cold night after it had snowed all day? Why was the crowd so silent now, after their rowdy progress to the gates? What were the gates of heaven -- was this heaven to the iJmuid? He promised himself to ask Elizabeth afterwards.

The torches hissed and beat in the erratic wind, their light wavering over the field of _raalah_. Teyla's wrap gleamed in the night, her face serious as she watched the Maha slowly push through the bushes, busily plucking the _raalah_ bolls. Next to him, Elizabeth sniffled, and he saw her eyes and nose were running from the cold. Each breath was sharp, like breathing ground glass, and his lungs and fillings ached. When they'd first left the city, his glasses had steamed up, but the lenses were clear now, though the frames were cold against his nose.

Elizabeth glanced at him, and then turned her head to really look at him. Radek wondered what she saw. He knew his own nose was damp from the cold wind. The wind had tousled his hair, which he knew needed cutting and always needed combing. "You look beautiful in that red," she whispered to him, and he felt his eyes widen and mouth drop open in shock.

"No," he whispered back, looking around to be sure no one was paying them attention. "You are the beauty, Elizabeth." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. "My beautiful mistress," he breathed. She smiled at him, radiant and pleased.

The crowd roared, and they looked back at the Maha, who had raised her platter. It was mounded high with the _raalah_ bolls, each one as fat as his fist and bursting with the soft fiber. The Maha looked very happy.

More ceremonies took place around them, little tableaux of pleasure: the Maha's eldest daughter with her baby daughter sitting in the platter of _raalah_ ; the Maha standing with Teyla, their foreheads pressed together; Ari and Tomo bowing deeply to the Maha; Ronon, giving her a small knife, its handle elaborately carved. Radek looked at Elizabeth; they'd already given the Maha their gifts, yet clearly one was required now.

"The _vaječný likér_ ," Radek whispered.

"Run, Radek. Can you find your way back?"

" _Ano_ , yes, of course," he said, and slipped through the crowd, trying to be unobtrusive until he was back inside the city. Then he ran, hoping he had told Elizabeth the truth. Up stairs, across a bridge, through long winding corridors that reminded him not at all of Atlantis, running until he was warm and sweating and gasping for breath.

He found the _labi_ , empty of all guests, and made his way to their rooms and finally to his pack. He'd wrapped the _vaječný likér_ back into his old tee-shirt, but he just grabbed it and began to run back, wiping his face with one hand. The city seemed so much warmer after spending even a few minutes outside.

He got turned around, though, when he crossed the bridge -- was it the right bridge? He slowed to a walk, gasping. Where was the gate? How was he supposed to get outside? He stopped and held his breath, trying to hear the crowd -- he thought it was to his left. Surely he'd come from the left? He'd run straight to their rooms; why couldn't he run straight back?

He took a deep breath and kept bearing left. Down a set of stairs, one he was sure was new to him, but they took him left. and then left through an echoing hallway. He felt foolish, stopping to listen, but he knew Elizabeth would be waiting for him, so they could offer the Maha the _vaječný likér_. " _Hovno_ ," he muttered, walking as quickly as he could. The city was so big, and built up as it was, all under an enormous roof like the world's largest basilica, he could not find his bearings.

"Ach," he cried, stopping. He wanted to stomp his feet and shout, to pull a Rodney, but it would do no good. He listened as hard as he could, but his heart was thumping too loudly to hear over. He had gotten lost in Atlantis their first month there, but had managed to work his way back to the inhabited section. Surely he could here, too; jHalum was not as large as Atlantis.

He wandered on, walking more and more slowly, until he came to yet another set of stairs, this going down again. He sat on the top step and stared down it, feeling unreasonably angry at it for being here. He didn't want to go downstairs again, did he? He didn't remember going down again when he'd followed the Maha to the gates of heaven.

He unwrapped the _vaječný likér_ from his tee and took a swig, burning his throat. All the alcohol was supposed to keep the eggs in the cordial safe, though Radek thought traveling through a stargate's failsafe protocols probably made it even safer. His sister made it strong, for a cold Bohemian night just like this, and he suddenly felt a powerful longing for her presence. He sniffed.

"Radek?" he heard a woman call, and for an instant he thought it was his sister, but of course she was in another galaxy. "Radek?"

"Here, Elizabeth," he said. "I am here, lost."

She came from under the stairs. He'd been going the wrong way after all. "I was worried about you."

He shrugged, and took another sip. "I am lost in jHalum."

She climbed the stairs and sat next to him, carefully sweeping her blue cloak from under her. He handed her the bottle and she sipped. "Powerful," she gasped. "I always forget."

"To warm you on a winter's night."

"It's summer."

They grinned at each other, and she took another swallow, bigger this time, and sighed contentedly. "Delicious." Her mouth glistened from the cordial. He stared at her lips. She licked them, and handed him back the bottle. "Radek," she said, and he leaned over and kissed her.

She kissed him back, and he sighed happily into her mouth. "You are so beautiful," he murmured, kissing her lips and cheeks. She put her hands on his face and pulled him to her so they could kiss more. "So beautiful."

"So are you," she said, and he laughed, but she looked hurt. "You are," she insisted. She brushed the hair back from his face, and carefully took off his glasses, folding them and tucking them inside his scarlet jacket. She tilted her head and he kissed her again, putting his arms around her to hold her tightly. They kissed for a long time, Radek growing more aroused. He remembered his fantasies, and what Tomo had said, and how disapproving Ronon had looked.

"Is this all right?" he asked her suddenly. "I do not wish to be, ah, inappropriate."

She smiled crookedly and shook her head. "I don't care if this is inappropriate," she said. "It's cold, and you're warm, and you're always here, there, I mean, in Atlantis, taking care of things. You're _steady_ , Radek, in a most unsteady world." She sighed. "I think I'm tipsy."

"I must take advantage," he said, and kissed her again, firmly, forcefully. "Elizabeth, you must know what I want. What do you want?" He gently pulled back her hood and stroked her hair; it was cold, she was cold, and he wanted to warm her. Her skin was pale except her cheeks had two pink spots; he kissed them, right, left, and then her forehead. "You are my beautiful mistress," he said.

She shook her head again, still smiling, picked up one of his hands, and kissed his palm. "I want what you want," she whispered, dropping her eyes. "I do, Radek."

He stood up, bringing her with him, then reached down and picked up the bottle. "We are going to bed now, Elizabeth," he said, trying to be firm and not reveal his quaking soul.

She smiled even more brilliantly. "Yes, Radek."

Oh, he liked that. He walked her slowly back, hoping he wouldn't get lost, but the crowds were returning from outdoors, streaming in again, their noise filling the great stone hallways and rotundas and stairwells. They were carried along with the others, Elizabeth pointing out Teyla glittering and next to her Ronon's height. "Good night! Good night!" people called to each other, separating as they came to branching corridors and small alleys leading to tall stone doors. Radek recognized their corridor when he saw it; the stairwell was decorated with what he suddenly realized were _raalah_ bolls. He led Elizabeth across, but she slowed halfway. He turned, fearful that she'd changed her mind, but he saw what she wanted. Standing mid-bridge, above the flow of jMuid, he kissed her. She was a bit taller than he, but so slim, and he felt as strong as the stone they stood on.

"Do you think it's all right, that we didn't bring the Maha a gift?" he whispered to her, still worried.

"We'll apologize tomorrow. She is a forgiving woman, the Maha," Elizabeth said, and then kissed him quiet.

Long after the jMuid had dispersed into their homes, Radek and Elizabeth kissed on the bridge. He was aching with desire for her when she sighed and leaned back, still in his arms. "Will you -- will you want this in Atlantis?"

He was speechless with surprise. He touched her face, her shoulders, drawing her nearer to him, and then, kissing her cheek, nuzzling her ear, he lightly touched her breast, and she shuddered in his arms. "As long as the _raalah_ blooms," he told her. "As long as Atlantis has been and will be. As long as the stars burn in the night sky."

She laughed, but shakily, her face pink with embarrassment.

"Will you want me?" Radek asked her.

"Oh!" she said, "oh, _Radek_." She put her hand over his on her breast; through her blouse and bra he could feel her nipple harden and he wanted her right there and then, wrapped in her beautiful blue mantle. "I will, oh, yes, I _will_ ," she said, not making sense, but his English was fracturing so it didn't matter.

" _Ano_ ," he whispered back to her, "yes, yes, now we go to bed."

He took her by the hand and led her back to the _labi_. Teyla and Ronon were already there; Teyla took one look at them and shooed Ronon out of the room. "We shall find another _labi_ ," she murmured; behind her, Ronon smirked at them.

When they were alone, Radek gently pushed her back until she was sitting on a bed, and said again, "My beautiful mistress."

Elizabeth smiled up at him, touching his face. Then she pulled off her cloak and began unbuttoning her blouse. He knelt in front of her, saying, "Let me," and unbuttoned it the rest of the way. Her bra was lacy and black, and she smelled delicious. He pushed the blouse off her shoulders, leaned up, and kissed the top of her breast. Her skin was still cold from the night of jHalum and she shivered against his mouth. She put her hand on the back of his head, so he pushed down her bra and took her nipple into his mouth. She cried out.

He kissed her breast again, then her mouth, and then stood and pulled off the jacket and sweaters he was wearing, kicking off his shoes, never taking his eyes off her. He carefully folded up her cloak, setting it with his clothes, and then took her blouse from her. Kneeling again, he set her shoes aside, and then massaged her feet, warming them. She was breathing quickly, her chest flushed. Suddenly she stood. "It's cold," she said. "Let's, the bed, Radek."

They undressed, Radek watching her, trying not to be embarrassed by how closely she was watching him. He was trembling with cold when they fell back into bed, sinking into the thick _raalah_ quilts. He lay on top of her and gasped when she wound her long legs around his thighs. He caught a glimpse of white and gold; she'd had her toenails painted, too, and the frivolity made him laugh as he kissed her. He would make her feel wonderful, he promised himself: cherished and beautiful and loved.

"Am I?" she asked him later that night, when the room was finally warm and the quilts too heavy. "Am I your mistress?"

He kissed her neck, making her shiver, and slid his fingers through her pubic hair, damp and warm, then teased her with one gentle finger. "You are," he said firmly, smiling at her.

She put her face next to his, her breath warm and smelling slightly of his sister's cordial. "Then fuck me again," she whispered. "As your mistress, I have that right, yes?"

He pushed his finger into her, slowly, carefully, and her eyes widened. "You have that right," he agreed, speaking very slowly, but he slid down the bed and put his mouth to her, licking firmly while she cried out and pushed against his face, again and again.

When he'd coaxed another orgasm from her, he wiped his face on the sheet and rolled her on top of him, so she could ride him. She groaned luxuriously, and grasped his cock, seating herself carefully. Radek hadn't come this many times in one night since he'd left Earth years ago; he felt wrung out and exhausted, yet still he desired her, and she desired him. She rocked against him; he knew he would last a very long time now and felt no hurry, no pressure. She could take what she needed from him because it was true; Ari had been right. She was his mistress, and more than that, he had loved her for as long as he'd known her.

Elizabeth gasped and tossed her head, her eyes wild. "I waited," she whispered to him, moving faster and harder. "It's -- you -- just _forever_ ," she said, and fell forward, kissing him.

He petted her hair, murmuring, "Beautiful Elizabeth, my dear Elizabeth," and she slowed, relaxing.

"Promise?" she asked softly, snuggling into him. He dragged the covers up over them before she could chill.

"Anything," he whispered. "You know that."

She smiled at him sleepily. They were safe within jHalum, the portcullises lowered and locked, secure under the stone sky of the city, and Elizabeth was in his arms, beautiful and sated. He kissed her shoulder, unable to take his eyes off her in the flickering light of the fire, her soft skin the color of fire opals.

He sat up suddenly. They'd forgotten that the Maha had asked them to share the _twahyess_ with her, whatever the hell _twahyess_ was. "Hmm?" Elizabeth murmured.

He lay back down beside her, smoothing the covers over her. "Nothing," he whispered. "It is nothing."

Her eyelids trembled, and her breathing slowed. Soon, his eyes closed as well.

* * *

Title from Thomas Carew's [A Beautiful Mistress](http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/carew/beautifu.htm)

If when the sun at noon displays  
His brighter rays,  
Thou but appear,  
He then, all pale with shame and fear,  
Quencheth his light,  
Hides his dark brow, flies from thy sight,  
And grows more dim,  
Compared to thee, than stars to him.  
If thou but show thy face again,  
When darkness doth at midnight reign,  
The darkness flies, and light is hurl'd  
Round about the silent world:  
So as alike thou driv'st away  
Both light and darkness, night and day.


End file.
